diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/Monitoring/Watchdog.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/Monitoring/Watchdog.cs
index d4cf02fe41..02f11fa3f3 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/Monitoring/Watchdog.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/Monitoring/Watchdog.cs
@@ -97,6 +97,32 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Monitoring
         /// /summary>
         public static event Action<ThreadWatchdogInfo> OnWatchdogTimeout;
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Is this watchdog active?
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool Enabled
+        {
+            get { return m_enabled; }
+            set
+            {
+//                m_log.DebugFormat("[MEMORY WATCHDOG]: Setting MemoryWatchdog.Enabled to {0}", value);
+
+                if (value == m_enabled)
+                    return;
+
+                m_enabled = value;
+
+                if (m_enabled)
+                {
+                    // Set now so we don't get alerted on the first run
+                    LastWatchdogThreadTick = Environment.TickCount & Int32.MaxValue;
+                }
+
+                m_watchdogTimer.Enabled = m_enabled;
+            }
+        }
+        private static bool m_enabled;
+
         private static readonly ILog m_log = LogManager.GetLogger(System.Reflection.MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);
         private static Dictionary<int, ThreadWatchdogInfo> m_threads;
         private static System.Timers.Timer m_watchdogTimer;
@@ -115,11 +141,6 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Monitoring
             m_watchdogTimer = new System.Timers.Timer(WATCHDOG_INTERVAL_MS);
             m_watchdogTimer.AutoReset = false;
             m_watchdogTimer.Elapsed += WatchdogTimerElapsed;
-
-            // Set now so we don't get alerted on the first run
-            LastWatchdogThreadTick = Environment.TickCount & Int32.MaxValue;
-
-            m_watchdogTimer.Start();
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimBase.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimBase.cs
index 37cfe1d25f..f78439860a 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimBase.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Application/OpenSimBase.cs
@@ -305,8 +305,13 @@ namespace OpenSim
             m_httpServerPort = m_networkServersInfo.HttpListenerPort;
             SceneManager.OnRestartSim += handleRestartRegion;
 
-            // Only start the memory watchdog once all regions are ready
-            SceneManager.OnRegionsReadyStatusChange += sm => MemoryWatchdog.Enabled = sm.AllRegionsReady;
+            // Only enable the watchdogs when all regions are ready.  Otherwise we get false positives when cpu is
+            // heavily used during initial startup.
+            //
+            // FIXME: It's also possible that region ready status should be flipped during an OAR load since this
+            // also makes heavy use of the CPU.
+            SceneManager.OnRegionsReadyStatusChange
+                += sm => { MemoryWatchdog.Enabled = sm.AllRegionsReady; Watchdog.Enabled = sm.AllRegionsReady; };
         }
 
         /// <summary>